Ekiti Governor Elect, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji is the immediate past Secretary to the State Government (SSG) .
Oyebanji was born on December 21, 1967, in Ikogosi-Ekiti to the family of Mr. Ezekiel Kunle and Late Mrs. Esther Oyebanji.
He is a former academician, farmer, and public servant, who as been described as a homegrown Ekiti man.
His entire early education was in his home state, in institutions such as Baptist Primary School, Ikogosi- Ekiti, Awo Community High School; C.A.C. Grammar School, Efon-Alaaye; and District Commercial Secondary School, Aramoko-Ekiti.
He proceeded to attend the Federal School of Arts and Science, Ondo State, before he earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) degree in Political Science from the Ondo State University (now Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti) in 1989.
He subsequently attended the University of Ibadan, where he bagged a Masters’ Degree (M.Sc) in Political Science (International Relations & Strategic Studies) in 1992.
He started his career in the academia as a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, University of Ado Ekiti, where he worked for four years (1993 – 1997), before moving on to the financial services industry, serving as Manager, Treasury, and Financial Services at the defunct Omega Bank Plc (now Heritage Bank) till May 1999, when he commenced an illustrious career in politics and governance.
He is one of the longest serving political office holders in the Government of Ekiti state, having served for over 11 years in various capacities including:
He had previously served in the first tenure of Governor Kayode Fayemi, from 2010 to 2014, traversing a couple of ministries as commissioner.
At the return of Mr Fayemi to the governorship seat in 2018, he was appointed the SSG, a position he held until he resigned in December 2021 to vie for the governorship ticket of the APC.
Before then, he had served as a special assistant to the pioneer civilian governor of the state, Niyi Adebayo, on parliamentary affairs before his appointment as a special adviser and then later as the Chief of Staff to the governor in the concluding part of the administration.
• Special Assistant (Parliamentary Affairs) to the Governor of Ekiti State (June 1999 – July 2001);
• Special Adviser (Parliamentary Affairs) to the Governor of Ekiti State (Aug. 2001– Sept. 2002);
• Chief of Staff to the Governor of Ekiti State (Sept. 2002 – May 29, 2003);
• Chairman, Governing Board, Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (June 2009 – Dec. 2010);
• Commissioner, Ministry of Integration and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Ekiti State (December 2010 – December 2011);
• Head, Office of Transformation Strategy and Delivery (OTSD), Ekiti State (December 2011 –January 2013);
• Commissioner, Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Service Delivery, Ekiti State (January 2013 – October 2014);
• Secretary to the Government of Ekiti State (October 2018 – December 2021).
He has been engaged in Agribusiness for over two decades and is the chairman of Con Dois Farms Limited.
By providence and by a remarkable show of patriotism and sacrifice at such a young age at the time, he notably served as Secretary, Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State (1996), and Secretary, Ekiti State Development Fund.
He is married to Dr. (Mrs.) Olayemi Oyebanji, a senior Lecturer in the Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan.
They are blessed with children.
